sensor
sensor Lexical Profile
sensor Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A device that detects or measures a physical property, such as light, heat, or motion, and records, indicates, or responds to it.
"The motion sensor triggered the outdoor security lights as soon as the deer walked across the driveway."
A biological structure or sensory receptor that responds to environmental stimuli and transmits signals to the nervous system.
"Biological sensors in the human skin immediately transmit changes in ambient temperature to the brain."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused with the homophone 'censor', which refers to an official who examines material to suppress unacceptable content.
• Rhymes for sensor
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 20th century from the Latin root 'sensus' (feeling, perception) combined with the agent suffix '-or', originally used to describe devices that replicate the function of biological sense organs.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.